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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter.

In seventh grade, I began a new adventure. I was finally in middle school, where I would have more freedom and more classes to gain interest in. I had to take some basic classes, like English and Science, but the one that I was the most excited for was Spanish.

My teacher, whom I wrote about last week, taught me to be curious about what I didn’t yet know. She taught my class what seemed like silly songs, like Señor Wolly’s “Billy La Bufanda”, but the fact that I distinctly remember watching this is proof enough of how influential is was for me.

I chose to take Spanish all through middle school and high school. As I considered majors to study, the one I knew I had to incorporate was Spanish. No matter what, Spanish was the thing that both challenged and encouraged me. Whenever I felt like I could not possibly complete an assignment, I remembered that I had literally just learned a new language! The fact that I took a conscious effort to further my education in something that helps me to communicate with more people makes me feel so proud.

In my first semester at SBU, I took Spanish 301 with Dr. Medrano. I may be biased, as he is the only Spanish professor I’ve had at SBU, but he made me feel seen as a student because he is an incredible educator. He gave me the confidence by the time I entered Spanish 303 with him in the spring to speak up in class more often and gain leadership skills. I know that I could have participated more, but I am still proud of myself for the efforts I made.

This is what I really want to talk about, though. I never quite feel like I should speak the language I’ve put so much time into learning whenever someone asks me to speak it. I don’t want to butcher the way I pronounce the words that were once foreign to me seven years ago. I want to show how much my teachers helped me to learn, and I’m always fearful that I will mess up and all my progress will be gone.

Every time I tell someone new that I have a minor in Spanish, the response is always something about how good I must be at the language. I don’t want to sound self-centered, but I do agree that my seven years of language progression have certainly paid off.

I never quite know what to say when asked to speak in Spanish. Everything leaves my mind and suddenly I can only think of the very basic introductions, which makes me feel undeserving of the minor. I feel like I always have to have the right response on the spot in order to gain the respect of others.

I feel like an imposter. I don’t think I know enough to claim this part of my introduction, but it’s something that makes me love learning, and that’s enough for me. As long as I have Spanish, I am able to connect with more people and grow in my own understanding of English. Spanish gives me the tools to grow and learn even when I feel inept.

I’m taking a semester off of Spanish this fall, and while it feels sort of refreshing to not have to wrack my brain for Spanish knowledge each time I write a paper, I’m worried that I will lose my skills. I have been trying to supplement this with watching TV shows in Spanish, but I’m fearful that I will soon fall behind.

I know that I don’t need to feel incapable with a language that I have worked so hard to learn, but sometimes it feels like I’m simply not the right person to show others a language I love so much.

This Hispanic Heritage Month, I want to grow in my Spanish skills and learn more about a culture that I still feel like I know little about. This month is one to help me grow a better knowledge about the valuable figures I don’t yet know. Who knows, maybe it’ll help me teach others something I never knew!

Alexis Serio is a shadow to the editors of the St. Bonaventure Her Campus chapter. She is gaining the skills to edit and critique her HC sisters’ articles, as well as growing in her own writing abilities. Alexis is looking forward to becoming more involved with HC and refining her skills. Alexis is a sophomore studying Communication, Social Justice & Advocacy with concentrations in Spanish and theology. Aside from Her Campus, Alexis serves as the service and community outreach officer for Jandoli Women in Communication. She also works for the Franciscan Center for Social Concern and Mt. Irenaeus as an assistant and as a communications intern, respectively. In her free time, Alexis enjoys reading and listening to music with friends. She is always open to listening to a new artist, but her current favorite is Hozier. Alexis loves to go on chatty walks and explore new places!